LibGuides: Virtual Displays: Indigenous Excellence Month

Introduction

The virtual displays for Indigenous Excellence are Art and Music, Religion, and Seven Grandfather Teachings.

The following sections have a variety of topics regarding both displays. Physical displays can also be found by the main circulation desk in the John E. Robbins Library.

Art and Music

This section showcases several books on Indigenous artwork and music that both display the artwork itself and discuss the surrounding cultural significance or academic background.

Religion

This section provides an introduction to the various Indigenous religions of Canada and the rest of North America.

Seven Grandfather Teachings

The Seven Grandfather Teachings are Bravery, Honesty, Humility, Love, Respect, Truth, and Wisdom. They were taught to the various Indigenous nations at the beginning of time and continue to be passed down today. This section contains books introducing the teachings as a whole and specific books for each individual teaching.

Indigenous Excellence Month

The Arts of Indigenous Health and Well-Being by Nancy Van Styvendale (et al.)
Call Number: R702.5. A78 2021

ISBN: 9780887559457

Publication Date: 2021-12-17

Drawing attention to the ways in which creative practices are essential to the health, well-being, and healing of Indigenous peoples, this book addresses the effects of artistic endeavour on the balanced interconnection of physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being. In this interdisciplinary collection, Indigenous knowledges inform an approach to health as a wider set of relations that are central to well-being, wherein artistic expression furthers cultural continuity and resilience, community connection, and kinship to push back against forces of fracture and disruption imposed by colonialism.
Here, Now by John P. Lukavic (Editor); Dakota Hoska (Editor); Christopher Patrello (Editor)
Call Number: N6538. A4D46 2022

ISBN: 9783777438429

Publication Date: 2022-05-19

This book features 200 of the Denver Art Museum's most notable Indigenous artworks. Aimed at both longtime fans of Indigenous arts and those coming to them for the first time, this expansive book reinterprets the collection and offers new insights into the historic and contemporary work of Indigenous artists. The book also includes contributions by Indigenous authors reflecting on the collection and the current issues that affect contemporary Indigenous communities.
Hip Hop Beats Indigenous Rhymes by Kyle T. Mays
Call Number: ML3531. M29H57 2018

ISBN: 9781438469461

Publication Date: 2018-04-01

This book documents recent developments among the Indigenous hip hop generation. Meeting at the nexus of hip hop studies, Indigenous studies, and critical ethnic studies, it argues that Indigenous people use hip hop culture to assert their sovereignty and challenge settler colonialism.
Indigenous Audibilities by Amanda Minks
Call Number: ML3549. M55I53 2023

ISBN: 9780197532492

Publication Date: 2023-11-03

In the middle of the 20th century, transnational networks sparked a range of cultural projects focused on collecting Indigenous music and folklore in the Americas. This book follows the social relations that created these collections in four interconnected case studies linking the U.S., Mexico, Nicaragua, and Chile. It presents a social-historical method of listening, reading, and thinking beyond the referentiality of archived texts, and in the process uncovers neglected genealogies of cultural music research in the Americas.
Indigenous Peoples in Arts and Music by Erin Nicks
Call Number: E98. A73N53 2019

ISBN: 1773083783

Publication Date: 2019

Part of a series on Indigenous people in Canada, this book briefly covers their works of art and music.
Indigenous Pop by Jeff Berglund (Editor); Jan Johnson (Editor); Kimberli Lee (Editor)
Call Number: ML3557. I63 2016

ISBN: 9780816509447

Publication Date: 2016-03-10

This book showcases the contributions of American Indian musicians to popular forms of music, including jazz, blues, country-western, rock and roll, reggae, punk, and hip hop. Arranged both chronologically and according to popular generic forms, the book gives Indigenous pop a broad new meaning. It also showcases the range of musical genres to which Native musicians have contributed and the unique ways in which their engagement advances the struggle for justice and continues age-old traditions of creative expression.
Me Artsy by Drew Hayden Taylor (Editor)
Call Number: N6549.5. A54M42 2015

ISBN: 1771620706

Publication Date: 2015-09-22

An exploration and deconstruction of the Aboriginal artistic spirit as seen and practiced through various art forms that demonstrate reflections on society through an indigenous perspective, including talents not just limited to those considered strictly traditional in origin, but inclusive of more contemporary forms of cultural expression.
Musical Intimacies and Indigenous Imaginaries by Byron Dueck
Call Number: ML3563.7. M36D84 2013

ISBN: 0199747652

Publication Date: 2013-11-25

This book explores several styles performed in the vital aboriginal musical scene in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, focusing on fiddling, country music, Christian hymnody, and step dancing. In considering these genres and the contexts in which they are performed, author Byron Dueck outlines a compelling theory of musical publics, examines the complex, overlapping social orientations of contemporary musicians, and shows how music and dance play a central role in a distinctive indigenous public culture.
Music of the First Nations by Tara Browner (et al.)
Call Number: ML3557. M87 2009

ISBN: 9780252022210

Publication Date: 2009-03-13

This unique anthology presents a wide variety of approaches to an ethnomusicology of Inuit and Native North American musical expression. Contributors include Native and non-Native scholars who provide erudite and illuminating perspectives on aboriginal culture, incorporating both traditional practices and contemporary musical influences. Gathering scholarship on a realm of intense interest but little previous publication, this collection promises to revitalize the study of Native music in North America, an area of ethnomusicology that stands to benefit greatly from these scholars' cooperative, community-oriented methods.
So Much More Than Art by Jack Davy
Call Number: NK8473. N7D38 2021

ISBN: 9780774866552

Publication Date: 2021-11-15

This book dismisses the persistent understanding that miniatures are simply children's toys or tourist trinkets. Jack Davy's highly original exploration of this intricate pursuit demonstrates the importance of miniaturization as a technique for communicating complex cultural ideas between generations and communities, as well as across the divide that separates Indigenous and settler societies.
Wendat Women's Arts by Annette W. de Stecher
Call Number: NK9213.3. A4D4 2022

ISBN: 9780228010678

Publication Date: 2022-05-15

For centuries, women artists of the Wendat First Nation of Wendake in Quebec have created artworks of intricate design and complex meaning in moosehair and quill embroidery. Their work records and transmits ancestral knowledge across generations of artists and remains a vibrant and important practice today. This book brings together a full history of the Wendat embroidery art form.

The Great Mystery : Myths of Native America by Neil Philip
Call Number: E98. R3P495 2001

ISBN: 9780395984055

Publication Date: 2001-09-17

Presents a collection of Native American mythology from various tribes including their different perspectives on how the earth was started and how it will end.
Handbook of Indigenous Religion(s) by Greg Johnson (Editor); Siv Ellen Kraft (Editor)
Call Number: BL380. H36 2017

ISBN: 9789004346697

Publication Date: 2017-06-21

Extremely distant and distinct indigenous communities have over recent decades become more like themselves and more like each other - a paradox prevalent globally but inadequately explained by established analytical frames, particularly with regard to religion. Addressing this rich and unfolding context, this book engages a wide variety of locations and perspectives. Drawing upon the efforts of a diverse group of scholars working at the intersection of indigenous studies and religious studies, this volume includes a programmatic introduction that argues for new ways of conceptualizing the field of indigenous religion(s), numerous case study-based examples, and an Afterword by Thomas Tweed.
Handbook of Native American Mythology by Dawn E. Bastian; Judy K. Mitchell
Call Number: E98. R3B37 2008

ISBN: 9780195342321

Publication Date: 2008-05-07

This book introduces readers to the mythologies of Native Americans from the United States to the Arctic Circle. In thematic chapters and encyclopedia-style entries, it examines the characters and deities, rituals, sacred locations and objects, concepts, and stories that define mythological cultures of various indigenous peoples. This book also traces the traditions as far back as possible and following their evolution from generation to generation to offers a unique perspective on Native American history, culture, and values.
Native American Myths by Anita Dalal
Call Number: E98. R3D35 2010

ISBN: 9781433935305

Publication Date: 2010-01-16

Many Native American myths concern the spirits that created and rule nature. Believers were able to understand and communicate with these supernatural forces through the shaman or healer. This book explores the many fascinating myths of various Native American cultures.
Native American Myths and Legends by Arcturus Publishing
Call Number: E98. R3N369 2017

ISBN: 9781784289065

Publication Date: 2017-10-01

This book is a beautifully presented collection of the fascinating stories told by the indigenous peoples across the continent of North America. The exciting adventures of trickster figures like Glooscap, Raven and Coyote are combined here with classic legends of creation. These legends span the width of the continent with tales from the Ojibwa of the GreatLakes region to the Inuits of Alaska. Together, these carefully chosen tales show the sheer diversity of the First Nations of Canada and the United States but for all their difference certain common themes weave through all the tribes' tales.
Native American Religions by Rob Staeger
Call Number: E98. R3S728 2003

ISBN: 9781590841228

Publication Date: 2004-09-01

While Native American religious beliefs vary from tribe to tribe, the one thing they have in common is a belief in a higher power. This power has many names: Manitou, Wakanda, Sila, or even just the Great Spirit. This book discusses the various beliefs held by tribes in each region of the Americas.
Native American Spirituality by Lee Irwin (Editor)
Call Number: E98. R3N382

ISBN: 0803282613

Publication Date: 2000-11-01

This book offers a stimulating, multidisciplinary set of essays by noted Native and non-Native scholars that explore the problems and prospects of understanding and writing about Native American spirituality in the 21st century. Considerable attention is given to the appropriateness and value of different interpretive paradigms for Native religion, including both "traditional" religion and Native Christianity.
Teaching Spirits by Joseph Epes Brown; Emily Cousins (As told to)
Call Number: E98. R3B753

ISBN: 0195138759

Publication Date: 2001-07-19

This book offers a thematic approach to Native American religious traditions. Through years of living with and learning about Native traditions across the continent, the author learned firsthand of the great diversity of the North American Indian cultures. Yet within this great multiplicity, he also noticed certain common themes that resonate within many Native traditions. Brown illustrates each of these themes with in-depth explorations of specific native cultures including Lakota, Navajo, Apache, Koyukon, and Ojibwe. This book brings to life the themes that resonate at the heart of Native American religious traditions.
Women and Indigenous Religions by Sylvia Marcos (et al.)
Call Number: BL458. W5634 2010

ISBN: 9780275991579

Publication Date: 2010-07-01

This book examines the critical and often undervalued contributions of women to the culture, well-being, and subsistence of their communities as active, powerful, and wise ritual specialists. It addresses specific issues in the study of religion, such as the multifaceted tensions between indigenous traditions, gender, and the genealogy of positions of authority in religion or spiritual matters. A close examination reveals that native religions, with their women specialists, are still a source of inspiration for millions of men and women even in the "advanced" areas in the world. This fact challenges the opinion that indigenous cultures are becoming extinct.

Rabbit and Bear Paws, Sacred Seven : Courage by Chad Solomon, Christopher Meyer, Tanya Leary
Call Number: PS8637. O446R33 2011

ISBN: 0986846201

Publication Date: 2011

A mother bear and her cub are hungry! Watch Rabbit and Bear Paws learn about courage, and trying new things, as they mimic the bear... and end up with ants in their pants!
Rabbit and Bear Paws, Sacred Seven : Honesty by Chad Solomon, Christopher Meyer, Tanya Leary
Call Number: PS8637. O446R334 2011

ISBN: 9780986846229

Publication Date: 2011

Watch Rabbit and his friends discover some mysterious tracks in the snow. They learn about the grandfather teaching of honesty and the Kitchi-Sabe, who is the spirit that brings honesty to the people.
Rabbit and Bear Paws, Sacred Seven : Humility by Chad Solomon, Christopher Meyer, Tanya Leary
Call Number: PS8637. O446R335 2011

ISBN: 9780986846243

Publication Date: 2011

Little Mouse teaches Rabbit, Strawberry and Bear Paws about humility. Follow along as this tiny little mouse leads them on a big adventure. She may be small, but in the end, she helps her friends in a very big way.
Rabbit and Bear Paws, Sacred Seven : Love by Chad Solomon, Christopher Meyer, Tanya Leary
Call Number: PS8637. O446R336 2011

ISBN: 9780986846250

Publication Date: 2011

Watch Rabbit and friends fly by the seat of their pants as they learn about the Grandfather teaching of love from the Eagles.
Rabbit and Bear Paws, Sacred Seven : Respect by Chad Solomon, Christopher Meyer, Tanya Leary
Call Number: PS8637. O446R337 2011

ISBN: 9780986864216

Publication Date: 2011

Watch Rabbit and friends learn about the Grandfather teaching of respect from their buffalo friends. Rabbit and Bear Paws butt heads trying to understand what it means to have RESPECT for people and animals.
Rabbit and Bear Paws, Sacred Seven : Truth by Chad Solomon, Christopher Meyer, Tanya Leary
Call Number: PS8637. O446R338 2011

ISBN: 9780986846236

Publication Date: 2011

Watch Rabbit and his friends learn about the grandfather teaching of truth as they come to understand that each new day is a great adventure.
Rabbit and Bear Paws, Sacred Seven : Wisdom by Chad Solomon, Christopher Meyer, Tanya Leary
Call Number: PS8637. O446R339 2011

ISBN: 9780986846267

Publication Date: 2011

Rabbit and his friends learn about wisdom, and making good choices, when they meet a family of beavers.
The Seven Teachings by David Courchene
Call Number: E98. E83C68 2006

ISBN: 9781425102937

Publication Date: 2007-04-12

The Seven Teachings are instrumental teachings in aboriginal culture. These teachings honour spiritual law and bring us back to our connection to the land. The Seven Teachings or laws are represented by seven sacred animals. Each animal offers a special gift and understanding of how we as people should live our lives on mother earth. This book was written to reach out to the keeper's of the future, our children, to teach them the importance of living life by the Seven Teachings.